Peer Health Exchange is a non-profit organization based in colleges around the nation that teaches high school students the skills and knowledge they need to begin making their own health decisions. College volunteers teach students lessons based on sexual health, drugs, alcohol and mental health to students at high schools that are unable to provide health education classes themselves. Most adolescents will begin facing issues about their personal health during their high school years, and PHE aims to educate students before these issues arise so that they are prepared to make the right choices for themselves. The peer model of PHE allows for easier communication with students, as they feel more comfortable discussing sensitive and serious topics with young adults that are only a few years older than them, thus creating a more open conversation in a comfortable classroom environment. A main tenant of PHE is an all-inclusive, culturally competent, and non-judgmental teaching style, which greatly facilitates positive relationships between health educators and students.
My time in PHE has been more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. Every time I go into a classroom, I meet unique and capable students who bring their own perspective to the curriculum, ask important questions, and inspire me to keep advocating for health education. Aside from teaching me more about my own health and allowing me to mentor younger peers, PHE has taught me public speaking, classroom management, and leadership skills, and has introduced me to some of my closest friends at Cal who are as passionate as I am about adolescent health education.
My time in PHE has been more rewarding than I could have ever imagined. Every time I go into a classroom, I meet unique and capable students who bring their own perspective to the curriculum, ask important questions, and inspire me to keep advocating for health education. Aside from teaching me more about my own health and allowing me to mentor younger peers, PHE has taught me public speaking, classroom management, and leadership skills, and has introduced me to some of my closest friends at Cal who are as passionate as I am about adolescent health education.